


The prince who was promised

by Tagrawal02



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, I Don't Even Know, Ned sucks at hiding things, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Varys knows who jon is, varys is actually smart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:06:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25763380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tagrawal02/pseuds/Tagrawal02
Summary: What if Varys actually lived up to his reputation, what if Ned couldn't hide something so obvious from the master of whisperers and what if Varys decided to make sure that Jon grew up to be the king Westeros neededorVarys helps Jon become king and decides to actually help the realm instead of just saying that he will
Relationships: Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen, Robb Stark/Margaery Tyrell
Comments: 22
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, this is my first fic so please go easy on me, hope that you enjoy and please post any suggestions or helpful comments down below.

**Varys**

This whole war shouldn’t have happened, he’d planned it so carefully : Aerys was meant to go to Harrenhal and bring Rhaegar back, ending all thoughts of rebellion and war on the spot, and then suffer a fatal case of “food poisoning” to ensure that Rhaegar took the throne without the loss of life. It was such a simple plan, nothing could have gone wrong, but then the prince had gone and kidnapped Lyanna stark leading to this rebellion and the sack of kings landing, all of it shouldn’t have happened. Why would Rhaegar do something so out of character, why would he abandon Elia and her kids and knowingly do something bound to cause war? Why would he leave half the kings guard away from the battle of the trident?

He had hoped that Lyanna stark’s arrival in king’s landing would help to clear everything up but instead it seems that she would bring another 2 mysteries. Varys looked down again at the note; “Ned Stark rides to Kings landing with his dead sister’s body and a child” How did she die, and who was the child? He’s been off his game for the past year, with secrets passing him by and players moving in the shadows. He was the spider, the master of whispers, he should be able to see right through these shadows, be able to manipulate all of them to help the nation. He vowed to himself that this would not happen again, he would improve his network and ensure that he knows about all the moves played in the game, but first he would get to the bottom of what happened in the tower of joy, and how lyanna stark ended up there.

**One week later**

Ned stark rode into the red keep, his face carved from stone, mouth in a grim line and eyes that showed his sorrow. Robert stood waiting for him tears running down his face as he looked past Ned at the closed casket coming into the keep carrying what everyone knew to be the deceased lyanna stark. Varys watched as Ned hopped off his horse and Robert went to embrace him, the big man almost collapsing on top of the quiet wolf, they whispered to each other for a while before seemingly getting into an argument .

“She is coming back with me Robert”

”She deserves to be laid at rest here”

“No, she is a stark, a she-wolf, and will be buried next to her ancestors at Winterfell”

At that, Robert turned around furiously and marched back into the keep, while Ned just sighed and turned around to the wet maid behind him holding the child. Varys looked at the child with mild curiosity, he looked to be no more than a month or two old, and had hair as black as coal, the family resemblance was striking and he was clearly a stark. Ned whispered something to the maid and she also walked into the red keep presumably to put the baby to rest in Stark’s room. With that out of the way, Ned squared his shoulders and came over to where varys and the others were. Grandmaester Pycelle was the first to speak. “my deepest condolences for your loss my Lord, Lyanna did not deserve this fate.”

Then followed many grunts of agreements and comments about how Rhaegar “would suffer in the deepest, darkest circle of hell for what he did”. Interestingly, varys noticed a small grimace upon Ned’s face when hearing these comments and wondered why Stark would be pained by this talk. Soon afterwards, everyone made their way into the red keep and varys saw Ned walking into Robert’s solar.

**3 months later**

2 months had passed since Ned stark’s departure and varys was still no closer to figuring out what had taken place in Dorne, Ned had simply stated to the court that Lyanna had died due to an illness and that he had killed the 3 kings guard present at the tower, he had also privately presented the child to Robert and claimed him as his bastard son. Varys immediately saw through Ned at court, the slight hesitation before he said illness had clearly been a sign that he was lying, no one else saw it but then again, no one else was as skilled at reading body language as Varys. This did not clear things up however, as varys could not figure out what had actually occurred at the tower, why would Ned not give the real truth behind his sister’s death? Varys had spent the past months searching for any clues as to what happened, and had come up completely blank, perhaps he should forget about this and move on to thinking about the future.

He had managed to save both Daenerys and Viserys, hiding them in Essos with Ser Willem Darry protecting them but he would not be able keep them hidden forever, already rumours about their location were coming up quicker than he could quash them, he would have to keep them constantly on the move, ensuring the survival of House Targaryen as it was clear that the new king would bring a wagonload of problems. Firstly, he was placing too much trust on the Lannisters , varys did not like them even before Tywin sacked the city, and with the amount of debt the crown now already owed the Lannisters in just 3 months, Varys knew that it was just a matter of time before Tywin would basically be ruling the country. The king was also oblivious to the Greyjoys , they were the only great house to not come and kneel yet Robert did nothing about it, it was clear from the reports that Balon Greyjoy would not look to end the days of reaving like Quellon wanted to, but instead was rebuilding the iron fleet and clearly gearing up for something big. While it would be a few years before he was ready to do anything, it still did not bode well that the new king refused to bring the krakens to heel. To Varys, it seemed like the king was instead longing for a war against them and therein lied the biggest problem with the king, he did not want to be one. It was as clear as day, the King spent his time whoring and hunting and throwing tourneys, disrespecting his betrothed (Cersei) and refusing to attend small council meetings. This was not the behavior of a king but a war mongering lord who lived solely for the thrill of battle and bedding whores, perhaps he was not as bad as Aerys, who truly earned the moniker of “the Mad King”, but he was not much better.

The problem was that it did not seem that Viserys would make a good king either, from preliminary reports it was clear that the Targaryen had rage issues that, while seemingly small today, could grow to become unmanageable by the time he became an adult, maybe the Targaryens’ years of inbreeding had finally caught up to them, maybe no full Targaryen could ever be sane. Varys truly lamented the deaths of Aegon and Rhaenys, they could have been the perfect monarchs, their Targaryen blood distilled with the martell’s and would have the lifelong support of the snakes, people who could have efficiently dealt with threats to Aegon’s regime. However, Varys was unable to save Aegon, he had managed to find a baby with similar markings but when he tried to exchange the babies Elia had stopped him, claiming that “Rhaegar will return to me, with ano-“ before she had cut herself off. Varys had wondered what she was going to say but had ultimately dismissed it as immaterial after Rhaegar’s death. Once again, Varys’ mind turned to how good a king Rhaegar would have been, with his penchant for helping the needy, his kingly demeanour, his bone-chilling stare that could curtail any lord, and his hatred of war. His only flaw was his obsession with prophecy, his obsession with the long night, the prince who was promised, who would have a song of, what was it? Varys though hard- _a song of ice and fire_ wait, did his prince find his ice? Was that why he pursued a stark? Wait, if he pursued her for this prophecy then that meant he didn’t kidnap her, maybe he meant to marry her. It fits! Even Elia knew about it, she was talking about Rhaegar bringing _another wife_! It made so much sense, his prince had found another bride to give him his prophesized son, to give him the third head of the dragon! 

Varys paused, then sighed deeply. This was all irrelevant, Rhaegar was dead, and so was Lyanna. There was no third child, no prince, no one who Varys could support, the seven realms were going to descend into chaos and there was nothing that Varys could do to prevent it. If his assumption was correct, Lyanna and Rhaegar married and hid away in dorne, causing this war for nothing, then Rhaegar died in the battle of the trident, and lyanna died in the tower due to-, wait Varys knew that Ned was lying about her dying of sickness, could these new revelations help clear up that mystery? his mind instantly turned to his previous train of thought, did lyanna actually have a child? Was her death due to childbirth and not any random disease, no it was not possible, was it? Varys knew that Ned stark, did in fact return with a child, and with Ned’s reputation it made sense that he did not father a bastard, but that didn’t mean that Stark would hide a Targaryen for his best friend. However, this Targaryen would have stark blood and Stark’s were notorious over their duty to their family, could it be true could he have found a prince that would be raised with an iron sense of duty _and_ would have the support of at least 3 kingdoms? This was certainly an avenue worth exploring, varys could feel himself trembling with excitement, first, he would have to try and collect proof, he would have to send messages to his birds inside the citadel and hope that there may be some record of Rhaegar and Lyanna, he would also send someone to search the tower of joy, perhaps there was something left over there that Ned had missed in his grief, something that could help Varys in proving the child’s legitimacy. As he started writing Varys prayed furiously that he was right, he truly could not see another king who he could support and he vowed that if this child was truly Rhaegar’s spawn then he would make sure that the child received the proper education, even if he would have to personally go over to Winterfell and ensure it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ned meets with a mysterious figure claiming to know about Jon. (Takes place 5 years after Robert's rebellion, about a year before the greyjoy rebellion).

**NED**

Ned walked cautiously into the tavern dressed in inconspicuous clothing with a heavy hood to mask his identity, he hated that he was engaging in this southern deception but unfortunately the note gave him no option.

_Meet me at the inn tomorrow at noon to discuss your “bastard son”, come alone or this news will reach the king’s ears by the eve._

Ned had never been more nervous, Robert finding out Jon’s true identity would no doubt lead to Jon’s death and perhaps his and his family's as well. He had immediately arranged for the clothing and set off with a trusted guard at his back, instructing Jory and Rodrick to hide his disappearance and to keep a careful eye on Jon, lest this mysterious figure only looked to draw him out to gain access to his ne- son.

Ned sat down at a table with his guard behind him and waited for someone to approach, realizing that he had no idea what the person looked like. 

“How do you know this is not an ambush?”

Ned looked at the guard with shock, the thought had not even crossed his mind. The guard was right, he walked into a meeting with a southerner without any preparation.

“Look, he threatened to release _our_ secret, I’m sorry if I forgot to take the proper precautions in my _panic_ ”

“You northerners have always been the bullish sort, let’s hope Jae- _Jon_ doesn’t follow in your footsteps” Ned stared angrily at him, this man was in no position to talk about being bull-headed, but before he could speak up again he felt a small tug on his sleeve. It was a child holding a note in his hand. He passed it to Ned and then scurried over towards the door.

_Follow the child and leave the guard._

Looking over to the entrance Ned saw the child waiting for him.

“What does it say?” Ned handed over the note and moved to get up but before he could, the guard stopped him.

“Don’t die Stark, you’re the only thing keeping me and Jon alive”

He nodded and with his mouth suddenly dry he followed the child as he took Ned through the winding alleyways to a small house with a red door. “Are we here?” Ned turned to ask the child but he had already scurried away so, taking a deep breath, he turned around and knocked on the door.

The door was opened by a big hooded figure and Ned stepped into the house looking around for the man who had brought him here.

“Hello lord stark” I turned around and saw ... Varys? Of course, he should have known that the master of whisperers would have seen through his desperate ploy to save his family.

“My lord I hope that you are doing well,” he said with his sly smile and his eyes sparkling.

“Enough Varys let’s get to why I’m here”

“You northerners, no time for any pleasantries just brutishly going straight to the point”

“I’m sorry if I’m not well versed in these deceptions and social intricacies that you lot practice in that snake’s nest you call a capital”

“Ah yes, the honourable Ned Stark is too good for our games, yet you hide the greatest secret in the seven kingdoms”  
  


“I have no idea what you’re talking about” Ne4d tried schooling his face into an impassive mask, yet he knew he couldn’t hide the fear in his eyes.

“Please, you northerners are horrendous liars. I know that Jon is not a stark or a snow or a sand, he is the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and your sister Lyanna”

Ned stared at him, Varys had figured it out, this was it the last remaining piece of his sister would die and there was nothing he could do to stop it. “So you’re here to gloat? To look at the fall of the starks?”

“No, quite the opposite, I want to help him” Ned’s eyes narrowed, he was talking about Jon using him as a pawn in the game.

“The best way to help him would be to leave him alone, leave him up north with his caring family”

Varys scoffed,” what loving family? I’ve heard all the stuff your wife does to him, sending him to bed without food, not letting his cousins play with him, even telling him that he doesn’t belong here, what ‘loving family’ does that to a 5-year-old?” Ned winced at Varys’ words, he knew that Catelyn wouldn’t wholeheartedly accept Jon but he assumed that she would at least be cordial with him and hopefully direct her anger toward him.

“Look, regardless I refuse to lose another family member up south, I lost 3 of them in that stupid war that Rhaegar caused, now the realm is at peace and I will not destabilise it.”

“Be honest stark, you just do not want to rise against your friend” Ned knew his words rang true, he could not bear the thought of attacking his best friend, they had both gone through so much together fighting out of desperation against the mad king and it had led to Robert becoming king, sure he disagreed with his attacks on Targaryens but he could never attack his friend.

“So what if this is true? Robert is a close friend and a good king, one that I am happy to kneel to and obey.”

“This ‘good king’ is already drowning the kingdoms in debt, insults his wife daily with his promiscuity and caused the rebellion” Ned’s eyes widened at the words.

“You dare accuse him of starting this, it was Rhaegar and Lyanna’s fault, they ran away without telling anyone how can that be Robert’s fault”

“Oh you fool, did you really think that Rhaegar did not try and tell people, that Lyanna wouldn’t send a message to your father, to her betrothed? They were not fools, they just sent the first message to the wrong person.”

Ned’s head was spinning, he had never thought about it like this, of course Lyanna would have told someone. Even in the tower, she was muttering about how Robert knew, everyone knew. At the time Ned had dismissed it, considering it the ravings of someone deep in the throes of sickness, but was she trying to convey something to him? Ned thought back to the battle of the trident, he thought back to the messenger who had come from the Targaryen side, asking for a truce. Robert had killed him claiming that the messenger was a spy sent in to assassinate him, in their nervousness for the battle on the morrow none had thought to question him but was there something deeper behind that?

“I still don’t understand, how come no one received their message”

“Robert had the messages stolen, he could not stand the idea of his betrothed loving another and decided that he would wage a war to win her back” At this Ned visibly staggered back, as if he was hit with an arrow.

“No, no. Not Robert, he couldn’t have done this, he-he was with me, he would have told someone he would not wage a war over something like this” Ned pleaded desperately, whether with himself or Varys he didn’t know, but as he said the words he realized that Varys may have been right, Robert was constantly itching for war, he talked many times with Ned of overthrowing Aerys, fighting in Essos and conquering foreign land. “How do you know this”.

“One of my little birds overheard him bragging to a whore in his drunken stupor, about how he had managed to start the war and kill the Targaryens, with the help of Petyr Baelish and a few lost letters.”

Ned held his head in his hands, this was too much for him. His “friend” had betrayed him, he didn’t want to believe Varys but his story made sense and answered so many of the questions Ned had after the rebellion, back then he had been too focused on protecting Jon and seeing Catelyn again, but now looking back Varys’ version of events made sense, right down to Baelish’s meteoric rise to the position of master of coin.

Suddenly, Ned felt a flash of anger, Robert had stolen everything from him! His father, his sister, his brother, even his chance at true love. Ned growled, he thought back to every single life that had been lost, not due to Rhaegar as he thought, but due to Robert. This was unforgivable, Ned would not stand for this, he would not let Robert get away with this, he would-, he would-what would he do? Then reality crashed down on him, what would he do? Robert was king now, untouchable, he couldn’t afford another war with the crown, especially one with the support of the Lannisters. He had the might of the north behind him but he couldn’t afford the men, even 5 years on the North’s army was severely weakened.

“Why tell me this, what am I to do?” Ned said defeatedly to Varys.

“You help me put the rightful king back on the throne” Ned’s head whipped up, was Varys truly talking about him risking another one of his family members in the south?

“You can’t be serious, the south is full of liars and snakes, I will not have Jon die in pursuit of some throne, neither will I let more north men die trying to avenge my family”

“But if you do not do something, they will die anyway” Ned was now confused, then he remembered Robert’s letter that came a few days earlier, asking him to start preparing against the ironborn. “Robert will constantly look for war, for more ‘honour’, for more ‘glory’” Varys spat out.

“He will drive Westeros into desolation” Ned know understood. Robert could not be allowed to remain on the throne, his thirst for war would kill them all, once again Ned’s anger grew over the thought of his lost family, his lost love, of losing his children, but this time nothing could silence it. It grew and grew until it cooled, not into grief but something much sharper, revenge. He would not let his family die in vain, he would not let his nephew’s birthright be stolen from him, they called him the quiet wolf but now they would hear him bark, they would hear the angry bays of a wolf whose pack was attacked, and they would fall. Winter would come for Robert Baratheon, winter would come for those who attacked the pack.

“All right Varys what is your plan?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys thank for reading this chapter, hope you enjoy the story and please feel free to post any feedback in the comments


End file.
